Charities hope to make 'GivingTuesday' as big as Black Friday

Thousands of the nation's charities are hoping shoppers have a lot of money left over after the first big days of holiday shopping and have an urge to consider the needy.They are also hoping to make the second iteration of "GivingTuesday" as big an event for philanthropy as Black Friday and Cyber Monday are for shopping.GivingTuesday, which will be held Dec. 3, is a daylong national event designed to help charities raise money online. Last year, GivingTuesday drew donations to about 2,600 nonprofits, according to event sponsors.That first GivingTuesday was very much a grassroots-style event organized on the fly by co-founders such as Henry Timms of 92Y, a New York nonprofit cultural and community center in New York City.Blackbaud, a founding partner of the event and a global provider of software and services to nonprofits, said it processed $10 million in online donations on the inaugural GivingTuesday.This year, more than 6,000 charitable groups have bigger goals and started planning as early as summer.Stacey Stewart, U.S. president of the nation's biggest charity, United Way Worldwide, said the event is an attempt to focus attention on giving back at time when people are often focused on consumer spending."GivingTuesday is a movement of more than 6,000 partners who are collectively redefining what it means to 'give,' " said Stewart.In California, one GivingTuesday event will be held at the Hotel Sofitel in Beverly Hills.Ken Brenner, founder of Interactive Donor Corp., is using the event to unveil a new widget for smartphones called iDonor, which allows users to easily give to the cause of their choice.Brenner said in an interview, "We are extremely proud part to be partners in this, activating and igniting the next generation of philanthropists across the country, a movement for people to give back during the holiday season."

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